Missile projector for game boards



Feb. 27, 1934. H. CASLER MISSILE PROJECTOR FOR GAME BOARDS Fil'ed Sept. 20. 1932 Patented Feb. 27,1934

MISSILE PROJECTOR FOR GAME BOARDS Herman Casler, Canastota, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Lindstrom Tool & Toy Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn.

Application September 20, 1932 Serial No. 634,059

2 Claims. (Cl. 278-129) This invention relates to game boards over which a marble or other projectile is propelled by means of a so called shooter, into a scoring pocket formed in or cup mounted upon the surface of the board.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for projecting one ball only at a time from a row of balls placed in the ball guide or magazine preparatory to playing the game.

it A further object of the invention is to provide one end of the board with folding legs which when extended elevate and support the board in inclined position and which legs can befolded parallel with the sides of the board for shipping or storage purposes.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plain View of the game board according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the plunger in rest position with the spring fully extended, the section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the plunger in tensioned position; and

ure 5 is a cross sectional view on line 5--5 of Figure 3.

. Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 denotes a preferably rectangular board having an upstanding border or flange 2 extending about all four sides thereof. A pair of short legs 3 pivoted to the outer end flange 2 by bolts or the like 4 support the board in a forwardly and downwardly inclined position when extended and when folded occupy a position parallel to and Within the confines of the end flange 2, a convenient arrangement for shipping or storage purposes.

Mounted on the top surface of the board 1 are a plurality of major scoring pockets or enclosures 4' having gate openings or entrances 5 sufficiently large to admit a marble or other projectile 6. The entrances to the pockets are guarded by flexible metal pins 7 which serve to deflect the marble away from the pockets in a tortuous path down the inclined board where it finally comes to rest in one of the minor scoring pockets 8, a plurality of which extend across the inner top edge of the board.

The game is played with a plurality of marbles or other projectiles 6, that is, each player is allowed a given number of shots or plays. These marbles, say ten in number, are projected one at a time from a combined guideway and magazine 9 by means of a shooter 10 hereinafter described. The guide 9 is formed by mounting a wall or partition 11 on the top face of the board parallel to one of the side flanges 2, and spaced therefrom a distance sufficient to freely acc01n- '9 modate and guide the marbles 6 therein. The outer or forward end of the partition 11 terminates adjacent a curved deflecting member 12 against which the marbles impact as they emerge from the guide 9. A curved leaf spring guard member 13 secured to the forward end of partition 11 prevents the marbles from accidently re-entering the guide after having been projected therefrom.

The shooter 10 comprises a plunger or impact 7 member 14 mounted for limited reoiprocatory movement in a housing 15 inturn mounted in the inner end of the guide way 9. This housing is preferably made of two superposed pieces, a top member 16 and a lower member 17, which mem- 7 bers are cut away intermediate their length to form an opening or chamber 18. The bottom member 17 is formed with aligned U-shaped recesses 21 and 22 in which the plunger or impact member 14 is slidably seated when inserted through an opening 23 in the inner end flange 2 of the board 1. A coiled compression spring 25 encircling the plunger member within the chamber 18 bears at its inner and outer ends respectively against washers 26 and 27, loosely mounted 35 on the said plunger. Withdrawal of the plunger from the housing by means of the knob or handle 24, is resisted by coil spring 25 when the shoulder 28 on the plunger is pulled into engagement with the outer face of washer 27 thus 0 compressing the spring and forcing washer 26 against the inner wall of chamber 18. Sudden release of the knob 24 by the player causes the plunger to be projected forwardly under the expansive action of the previously compressed .5 spring, and to impact the innermost marble 6 of the row of marbles 29 contained in the guide 9.

In order to prevent the plunger from pushing the row of marbles or balls after its impact with the innermost marble, the compression spring 25 is so dimensioned that it will be fully extended shortly before its outer end strikes the ball. This results in the force of the impact of the plunger, under the throwing action of the expanding spring, being communicated to the outermost marble without advancing the intermediate balls of the row. Consequently the outermost ball only will be catapulted from the guide while the rest of the balls will remain stationary, or if moved at all, such movement will be negligible. This 9 permits of the balls being arranged axially in the guide 9 and also gives the operator better control of the ball, thus adding to the skill involved and general interest in the game. The member 14 which is made of hard material approximately as hard as the marbles and is approximately equal in Weight to the weight of one marble, is provided with a suitable operating knob or handle 24, which knob also serves to limit forward or striking movement of the plunger. It will be noted that the outer end of the plunger projects but slightly from the housing when at the limit of its working stroke.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An impact shooter for a game board adapted to propel a single ball from a row of balls arranged within a guide way comprising a plunger of approximately the weight of one of said balls and a compression spring actuating said plunger, said spring being proportioned to be fully extended at the end of the movement of said plunger to prevent a pushing effect of the plunger on the rest of the balls after propulsion of the outer end ball by the impact of the plunger upon the inner end ball.

2. An impact shooter for a game board adapted to propel a single ball from a row of balls arranged within a guide way, comprising a plunger of approximately the weight of one of said balls and of a material having approximately the same hardness as said ball, and a compression spring actuating said plunger, said spring being proportioned to be fully extended and thus having no unexpended force due to the distortion of the spring at the end of the movement of said plunger, to advance same after its impact.

HERMAN CASLER. 

